the patchwork girl of oz-第26章

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the　way；　〃we　must　be　near　Yoop。〃







Just　then；　as　he　rounded　a　sharp　turn；　the



Straw　man　stopped　so　suddenly　that　all　the



others　bumped　against　him。







〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Dorothy；　standing　on



tip…toes　to　look　over　his　shoulder。　But　then　she



saw　what　it　was　and　cried　〃Oh！〃　in　a　tone　of



astonishment。







In　one　of　the　rock　wallsthat　at　their　left



was　hollowed　a　great　cavern；　in　front　of　which　was



a　row　of　thick　iron　bars；　the　tops　and　bottoms



being　firmly　fixed　in　the　solid　rock。　Over　this



cavern　was　a　big　sign；　which　Dorothy　read　with



much　curiosity；　speaking　the　words　aloud　that　all



might　know　what　they　said：











〃MISTER　YOOPHIS　CAVE







The　Largest　Untamed　Giant　in　Captivity。



Height；　21　Feet。（And　yet　he　has　but　2　feet。）



Weight；　1640　Pounds。（But　he　waits　all　the　time。）



Age；　400　Years　'and　Up'　（as　they　say　in　the







　Department　Store　advertisements）。



Temper；　Fierce　and　Ferocious。（Except　when　asleep。）



Appetite；　Ravenous。（Prefers　Meat　People　and　Orange　Marmalade。）











P。　S。Don't　feed　the　Giant　yourself。〃















〃Very　well；〃　said　Ojo；　with　a　sigh；　〃let's　go　back。〃







〃It's　a　long　way　back；〃　declared　Dorothy。







〃So　it　is；〃　remarked　the　Scarecrow；　〃and　it



means　a　tedious　climb　over　those　sharp　rocks　if



we　can　t　use　this　passage。　I　think　it　will　be　best



to　run　by　the　Giant's　cave　as　fast　as　we　can　go。



Mister　Yoop　seems　to　be　asleep　just　now。〃







But　the　Giant　wasn't　asleep。　He　suddenly



appeared　at　the　front　of　his　cavern；　seized　the



iron　bars　in　his　great　hairy　hands　and　shook



them　until　they　rattled　in　their　sockets。　Yoop



was　so　tall　that　our　friends　had　to　tip　their　heads



way　back　to　look　into　his　face；　and　they　noticed



he　was　dressed　all　in　pink　velvet；　with　silver



buttons　and　braid。　The　Giant's　boots　were　of



pink　leather　and　had　tassels　on　them　and　his



hat　was　decorated　with　an　enormous　pink　ostrich



feather；　carefully　curled。







〃Yoho！〃　he　said　in　a　deep　bass　voice；　〃I　smell



dinner。〃







〃I　think　you　are　mistaken；〃　replied　the



Scarecrow。　〃There　is　no　orange　marmalade　around



here。〃







〃Ah；　but　I　eat　other　things；〃　asserted　Mister



Yoop。　〃That　is；　I　eat　them　when　I　can　get　them。



But　this　is　a　lonely　place；　and　no　good　meat　has



passed　by　my　cave　for　many　years；　so　I'm　hungry。〃







〃Haven't　you　eaten　anything　in　many　years？〃



asked　Dorothy。







〃Nothing　except　six　ants　and　a　monkey。　I　thought



the　monkey　would　taste　like　meat　people；　but　the



flavor　was　different。　I　hope　you　will　taste



better；　for　you　seem　plump　and　tender。〃







〃Oh；　I'm　not　going　to　be　eaten；〃　said　Dorothy。







〃Why　not？〃







〃I　shall　keep　out　of　your　way；〃　she　answered。







〃How　heartless！〃　wailed　the　Giant；　shaking　the



bars　again。　〃Consider　how　many　years　it　is　since



I've　eaten　a　single　plump　little　girl！　They　tell



me　meat　is　going　up；　but　if　I　can　manage　to　catch



you　I'm　sure　it　will　soon　be　going　down。　And　I'll



catch　you　if　I　can。〃







With　this　the　Giant　pushed　his　big　arms；



which　looked　like　tree…trunks　（except　that　tree…



trunks　don't　wear　pink　velvet）　between　the　iron



bars；　and　the　arms　were　so　long　that　they



touched　the　opposite　wall　of　the　rock　passage。



Then　he　extended　them　as　far　as　he　could　reach



toward　our　travelers　and　found　he　could　almost



touch　the　Scarecrowbut　not　quite。







〃Come　a　little　nearer；　please；〃　begged　the



Giant。







〃I'm　a　Scarecrow。〃







〃A　Scarecrow？　Ugh！　I　don't　care　a　straw　for



a　scarecrow。　Who　is　that　bright…colored　delicacy



behind　you？〃







〃Me？〃　asked　Scraps。　〃I'm　a　Patchwork　Girl；



and　I'm　stuffed　with　cotton。〃







〃Dear　me；〃　sighed　the　Giant　in　a　disapointed



tone；　〃that　reduces　my　dinner　from　four　to　two



and　the　dog。　I'll　save　the　dog　for　dessert。〃







Toto　growled；　keeping　a　good　distance　away。







〃Back　up；〃　said　the　Scarecrow　to　those　behind



him。　〃Let　us　go　back　a　little　way　and　talk　this



over。







So　they　turned　and　went　around　the　bend　in



the　passage；　where　they　were　out　of　sight　of　the



cave　and　Mister　Yoop　could　not　hear　them。







〃My　idea；〃　began　the　Scarecrow；　when　they



had　halted；　〃is　to　make　a　dash　past　the　cave；



going　on　a　run。







〃He'd　grab　us；〃　said　Dorothy。







〃Well；　he　can't　grab　but　one　at　a　time；　and



I'll　go　first。　As　soon　as　he　grabs　me　the　rest　of



you　can　slip　past　him；　out　of　his　reach；　and　he



will　soon　let　me　go　because　I　am　not　fit　to　eat。〃







They　decided　to　try　this　plan　and　Dorothy



took　Toto　in　her　arms；　so　as　to　protect　him。　She



followed　just　after　the　Scarecrow。　Then　came



Ojo；　with　Scarps　the　last　of　the　four。　Their



hearts　beat　a　little　faster　than　usual　as　they　again



approached　the　Giant's　cave；　this　time　moving



swiftly　forward。







It　turned　out　about　the　way　the　Scarecrow　had



planned。　Mister　Yoop　was　quite　astonished　to　see



them　come　flying　toward　him；　and　thrusting　his



arms　between　the　bars　he　seized　the　Scarecrow　in　a



firm　grip。　In　the　next　instant　he　realized；　from



the　way　the　straw　crunched　between　his　fingers；



that　he　had　captured　the　non…eatable　man；　but



during　that　instant　of　delay　Dorothy　and　Ojo　had



slipped　by　the　Giant　and　were　out　of　reach。



Uttering　a　howl　of　rage　the　monster　threw　the



Scarecrow　after　them　with　one　hand　and　grabbed



Scraps　with　the　other。







The　poor　Scarecrow　went　whirling　through　the　air



and　so　cleverly　was　he　aimed　that　he　struck　Ojo's



back　and　sent　the　boy　tumbling　head　over　heels；



and　he　tripped　Dorothy　and　sent　her；　also；



sprawling　upon　the　ground。　Toto　flew　out　of　the



little　girl's　arms　and　landed　some　distance　ahead；



and　all　were　so　dazed　that　it　was　a　moment　before



they　could　scramble　to　their　feet　again。　When　they



did　so　they　turned　to　look　toward　the　Giant's



cave；　and　at　that　moment　the　ferocious　Mister　Yoop



threw　the　Patchwork　Girl　at　them。







Down　went　all　three　again；　in　a　heap；　with



Scraps　on　top。　The　Giant　roared　so　terribly　that



for　a　time　they　were　afraid　he　had　broken　loose；



but　he　hadn't。　So　they　sat　in　the　road　and　looked



at　one　another　in　a　rather　bewildered　way；　and



then　began　to　feel　glad。







〃We　did　it！〃　exclaimed　the　Scarecrow；　with



satisfaction。　〃And　now　we　are　free　to　go　on



our　way。







〃Mister　Yoop　is　very　impolite；〃　declared



Scraps。　〃He　jarred　me　terribly。　It's　lucky　my



stitches　are　so　fine　and　strong；　for　otherwise　such



harsh　treatment　might　rip　me　up　the　back。〃







〃Allow　me　to　apologize　for　the　Giant；〃　said



the　Scarecrow；　raising　the　Patchwork　Girl　to



her　feet　and　dusting　her　skirt　with　his　stuffed



hands。　〃Mister　Yoop　is　a　perfect　stranger　to　me；



but　I　fear；　from　the　rude　manner　in　which　he



has　acted；　that　he　is　no　gentleman。〃







Dorothy　and　Ojo　laughed　at　this　statement



and　Toto　barked　as　if　he　understood　the　joke；



after　which　they　all　felt　better　and　resumed　the



journey　in　high　spirits。







〃Of　course；〃　said　the　little　girl；　when　they　had



walked　a　way　along　the　passage；　〃it　was　lucky　for



us　the　Giant　was　caged；　for；　if　he　had　happened　to



be　loose；　hehe〃







〃Perhaps；　in　that　case；　he　wouldn't　be　hungry



any　more；〃　said　Ojo　gravely。



















Chapter　Twenty…One







Hip　Hopper　the　Champion











They　must　have　had　good　courage　to　climb　all　those



rocks；　for　after　getting　out　of　the　canyon　they



encountered　more　rock　hills　to　he　surmounted。　Toto



could　jump　from　one　rock　to　another　quite　easily；



but　the　others　had　to　creep　and　climb　with　care；



so　that　after　a　whole　day　of　such　work　Dorothy　and



Ojo　found　themselves　very　tired。







As　they　gazed　upward　at　the　great　mass　of



tumbled　rocks　that　covered　the　steep　incline；



Dorothy　gave　a　little　groan　and　said：







〃That's　going　to　be　a　ter'ble　hard　climb；



Scarecrow。　I　wish　we　could　find　the　dark　well



without　so　much　trouble。〃







〃Suppose；〃　said　Ojo；　〃you　wait　here　and　let



me　do　the　climbing；　for　it's　on　my　account



we're　searching　for　the　dark　well。　Then；　if　I



don't　find　anything；　I'll　come　back　and　join



you。







〃No；〃　replied　the　little　girl；　shaking　her　head



positively；　〃we'll　all　go　together；　for　that　way



we　can　help　each　other。　If　you　went　alone；



something　might　happen　to　you；　Ojo。〃







So　they　began　the　climb　and　found　it　indeed



difficult；　for　a　way。　But　presently；　in　creeping



over　the　big　crags；　they　found　a　path　at　their



feet　which　wound　in　and　out　among　the　masses　of



rock　and　was　quite　smooth　and　easy　to　walk　upon。



As　the　path　gradually　ascended　the　mountain；



although　in　a　roundabout　way；　they　decided　to



follow　it。







〃This　must　be　the　road　to　the　Country　of



the　Hoppers；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。







〃Who　are　the　Hoppers？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃Some　people　Jack　Pumpkinhead　told　me　about；〃　he



replied。







〃I　didn't　hear　him；〃　replied　the　girl。







〃No；　you　were　asleep；〃　explained　the　Scarecrow。



〃But　he　told　Scraps　and　me　that　the　hoppers



and　the　Horners　live　on　this　mountain。〃







〃He　said　in　the　mountain；〃　declared　Scraps；



〃but　of　course　he　meant　on　it。〃







〃Didn't　he　say　what　the　Hoppers　and　Horners　were



like？〃　inquired　Dorothy。







〃No；　he　only　said　they　were　two　separate



nations；　and　that　the　Horners　were　the　most



important。〃







〃Well；　if　we　go　to　their　country　we'll　find　out



all　about　'em；〃　said　the　girl。　〃But　I've　never



heard　Ozma　mention　those　people；　so　they　can't



be　very　important。〃







〃Is　this　mountain　in　the　Land　of　Oz？〃　asked



Scraps。







〃Course　it　is；〃　answered　Dorothy。　〃It's　in　the



South　Country　of　the　Quadlings。　When　one　comes　to



the　edge　of　Oz；　in　any　direction；　there　is　nothing



more　to　be　seen　at　all。　Once　you　could　see　sandy



desert　all　around　Oz；　but　now　it's　diff'rent；　and



no　other　people　can　see　us；　any　more　than　we　can



see　them。〃







〃If　the　mountain　is　under　Ozma's　rule；　why



doesn't　she　know　about　the　Hoppers　and　the



Horners？〃　Ojo　asked。







〃Why；　i